Bail for teenage driver in crash that killed boy

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An unlicensed teenage driver charged with driving a stolen car
in which a 14-year-old boy died after it crashed has been released
on bail because he had no prior criminal record.

The 17-year-old student from a south-western Sydney high school
sat with his head bowed and arms crossed as his distressed parents
looked on when he appeared before Bidura Children's Court, Glebe,
yesterday.

Magistrate Paul Mulroney said the alleged police facts on
Sunday's accident in which the 14-year-old rear-seat passenger,
Dennis Leaeno, of Belfield, died were extremely serious and could
result in a custodial sentence if proven at trial.

But Mr Mulroney said he could not ignore that the youth had no
known criminal record or driving history, nor had ever been bought
to the attention of a juvenile court or authorities before.

A document tendered to the court stated that police initially
refused the youth bail after he surrendered to police on Sunday
after he admitted driving a stolen Nissan Pulsar when it crashed in
Crieff Street, Ashbury, at 3.10am that day.

Other passengers included another 17-year-old boy and two
16-year-old boys. No facts relating to why the boys came to be in
the car or where it was stolen from were revealed in court.

The driver faces a number of charges, including being the driver
of a vehicle driven in a dangerous manner who fled the scene of an
accident where injury or death had occurred after failing to render
assistance.

Police had said Dennis Leaeno was deserted by his friends and
later died from head injuries in hospital. But one of the
16-year-olds said he had returned to the scene and tried to free
his injured friend. He told Channel Ten: "I couldn't do much."

Dennis's father, Paul Leaeno, said yesterday that he wished he
was dead and not his son. "He was a cute boy, I love my son, he is
my youngest son," he said.

Police released the other 17-year-old with a caution notice, but
summoned the 16-year-olds to the Children's Court on November 15 on
a charge of travelling in a stolen car.